Weathered Bench Makeover

*This post may contain some affiliate links for your convenience (which means if you make a purchase after clicking a link I may earn a small commission, but it won’t cost you a penny more)! Click here to read my full disclosure policy.

Learn this simple trick to make perfectly weathered furniture every time!

Remember last month how I made over our ugly green table into a stunning World Market knockoff using pallet boards? Well, it’s that time of the month again!! (And no, not that time ladies! This one’s way more fun!)

This month’s theme for our Furniture Refresh Thursday is Weathered. I am excited to show you this bench I made over using an awesome technique! Read more to find out what trick I used and be sure to check out all the other fabulous projects from this month’s furniture makeover challenge at the bottom of this post.

Growing up we had a bench on our front porch. Many people sat on that bench and shared life together. I remember spending many hours waiting for my older sister to get home from school to play. Or hours in the summer watching mom garden while we all hung out. Now, I am excited, to have that same bench to welcome people into our home. After two neglectful years of our porch sitting empty and sad, our porch finally greets people with cheer and just in time for my favorite season of all!

Here’s our old bench in all its glory.

MATERIALS

Furniture

Paint

Vaseline

Rag

TOOLS

INSTRUCTIONS

First I sanded it down using my random orbit sander to smooth out all the beaten and weathered pieces down. Yes, I realize this is a weathered project, but I didn’t want it that weathered. When you get splinters every time you sat on a bench I think it’s time for a makeover!

Once your bench is all sanded down, clean it off using a dry rag or a shop vac to clean it up.

Next, comes the magic! Take some vaseline, any petroleum jelly works, and apply it with your finger to the edges of boards and any area that you think the wood would naturally wear down.

You can see here in the shiny parts that I put it around the screw holes, some edge pieces, and then a few marks on the board pieces. Just play around with it. I’m sure it’ll look great whatever you do!

Next comes your painting time. Grab your paint and paint right over the vaseline. If you push your paint brush in too hard you might pick up some vaseline, but that’s okay and will just add to the natural weathered effect.

Let your furniture dry overnight and then use some fine grit sandpaper (180-220) and sand down your whole piece. The areas where you applied vaseline will come off really easily and look awesome and perfectly natural weathered! I love it!!

It takes so much of the dirty work out of having to sand for hours to get a weathered piece to look perfect. Literally takes 1 minute to apply the vaseline and after the paint dries it takes less than five minutes to sand down the furniture and you’re done!

And here’s how it all pulled together! I finished our new weathered bench just in time to be dressed up for the upcoming Christmas season! I love how it turned out and I was even able to incorporate the darling burlap Christmas trees I made last year while waiting for Clara to arrive.

And because what photoshoot isn’t complete without a dog in an elf hat? He secretly loves it!!

Did you know you could do this with vaseline? It’s so simple and yet awesome! I love the look and how simple it made it to weather the bench so effortlessly.

Now, be sure to check out all these other fabulous weathered projects to see their great furniture makeovers.

[inlinkz_linkup id=575641 mode=1]

Want a modern home on a budget?

Subscribe and get this FREE GUIDE to learn the tips, tricks, and my best resources to create a family-friendly modern home on a budget!

Related Topics

Hi! I'm Amanda, wife to my high school sweetheart, and momma to two precious girls. When I'm not busy playing with my babies you can often find me covered in sawdust in my garage or hiding in a coffee shop drinking a hazelnut latte. Thanks for stopping by and I hope you'll find inspiration to create, decorate, and celebrate.

I’ve never heard of the Vaseline trick. What a clever, easy, and inexpensive way to get the desired effect. I love your entire porch, with those cute burlpa trees, that wooden cart and your pooch. Straight out of a magazine spread.

Hi! I'm Amanda, wife to my high school sweetheart and momma to two precious girls. When I'm not busy playing with my babies you can often find me covered in sawdust in my garage or hiding in a coffee shop drinking a caramel latte. Thanks for stopping by!